Distance rod



A. F, MASURY July 9, "1:529.

DISTANCE RODl original Filed May 11, 1927 Patented July 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATET` GFFICE.

ALFRED F. MAS'URY, 0F NEVI EZ'QRK, N. Y., ASSGNOR T0 NTERNATIGNAL MOTOR CM- PANY, OF NEW YREI, hl. Y., A CORORATION 0F DELAWARE.

BISTANCE BUD.

@riginal application filed May 1l, 19537, Serial No. 190,394. Divided and this application filed october 25, 19W?. Serial No. 528,549.

ln motor vehicles employing chain drives it is necessary to employ means to maintain the distance between the jaclt shaft and 'the axle upon which the wheels are mounted in order to maintain the proper distance between the chain sprocket centers. For this purpose distance rods are usually employed. The distance rods which it proposed to provide according to this invention are novel and are et a nature such as that disclosed in my copending application Serial lio. 190,39-liiled May ll, 192i, oit which this application is a division.

rlroadly, the invention contemplates the provision oi a distance rod which will eitifectiveiy maintain the proper distance between chain sprocket centers but which may be readily adjustable. `lli/lore specilically the invention contemplates the provision kot a distance rod so constructed that the adjusting means are relieved olf the strains ordinarily impressed thereupon. Accordingly, the rod is made adjustable by the use of a turn buckle screw and the sides oit the rod adjacent the screw are serrated and plates formed with teeth are adapted to be clamped thereon in order to maintain the rod in adj ustment. lfn this manner the adjusting screw is relieved et any driving strains which will instead be taken by the plates. rldhe invention further contemplates the provision oft novel means for attaching the rod to the jack shaft or the like. These and other objects of the invention will be found fully set :torth in the 'following detailed description which should be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a view oit so much oit a motor vehicle is necessary to show a distance rod according to this invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view show* ing in detail the manner of supporting the end of the distance rod;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic view illustrating a method o'l rendering the rod iinely adjustable.

'Referring to Figure l, power is t fansmitted from the flywheel ot' a motor, ior instance, through the transmission shaft e to the acl; shatt sectie s c through dii'ferential gearing in the housing a, the ack shaft sections being journaled in housings c7 mounted upon the chassis .trame a. Une end oit thedistance rod f is rigidly carried with the dead axle i5 while the other end j" is connected to the jacl shaft. The end f2 carries a cylindrical housing 73 having a cover plate j. l he interior ot the housing f3 is formed tor the reception of an annular bloot: ci yielding non-metallic material f5 surrounding the housing cT in which the jack shaft c is journaled. The jack shaft housing c7 is hung 'from the chassis 'frame through yielding non-metallic material 7L which is carried within a housing L, the housing /i being v'formed with two arms if, which are mounted within the housings at formed on the bracket a2 by the non-metallic means at. i

The end f2 oi the rod is biturcated as at f7 and the housing f3 is formed with similar biiurcai'xed members fs. The des ot the bi- ;lfi'u'cated members are serrated as at 7"" and fm for co-operation with serrations f1 in the plates 7m. ln order to adjust the length of the distance rod the plates are removed, or at least loosened, by unscrewing the studs fl and the turn-buclde nut turned down on the threaded linlr f1 to the desired extent. the slots j providing for variations in the distances between the centers oif the bolts. "he plates fu are then clamped down to maintain the rod in adjusted relation. By this means the strains set up on the rod by the driving chain are taken by the plates f instead o'l by the adjusting means 7m, 1116. The adjusting means are thereby relieved olf all driving strains.

in order to provide for a very fine degree of adjustment the sides oit the biturcated nien'ibers f7 and may be formed with teeth of diii'erent pitch, the co-operating teeth on the plates f being correspondingly formed. Thus, as indicated somewhat diagrammatically in Figure fle, the sides of the hiiurcated members f8 on the housing may be termed with twenty teeth to the inch, while the sides of the bituroated members j on the rod may be formed with twenty-one teeth to the inch. Then, it the distance between the points of any two given teeth on the plate is one foot, which will also be the distance between the roots ot the co-operating teeth on the bi furcated members, and the plateis moved one tooth to the left (in .Figure i) the oyerall length of the rod will have been shortened an amount equal to the diference be- Ved a novel type of adjustable distance rod of such a nature that the adjusting means are relieved from strains ordinarily impressed thereupon-and in which a very iine degree Aof adjustment is possible.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been particularly set, forth and described but it is to be understood that no limitation upon the scope ofthe invention is intended except as indicated in the claims. i

What I claim is: j l. Means to maintain the proper distance between the centers of chain driven sprockets comprising a distance roid severed in its length, means at the` point of severance of the rod to adjust its length, and plates cooperating with the sides of the rod at the lpoint of severance to hold it in adjustable position, whereby the adjusting means are relieved of driving strains.

2.v A distance `rod to maintain the proper distancey between the axles ot the chain driven sprockets, said distance rod being formed with bifurcated members at one of its ends, a housing carried with one of the axles, said housingbeing formed with bifurcated members, means between the housing and theY distance rod to adjust the length of the distance rod, and plates co-operating with the. sides of the bifurcated members on the nod and the, housing to maintain the rod inadjusted position, the co-operating sides of the plates and of the bifurcated members being serrated.

3. A distance rod to maintain the proper distance between the axles of the chain driven sprockets, said distance rod being formed with bifurcated. members at one of its ends, a housing carried with one of the axles, said housing being formed with bifurcated members, means between the housing and the distance` rod to adjust the length of the distance rod, and plates co-operating with the sides of the bifurcated members on the rod and the housing to maintain the rod in` adjusted position, the sides of the plates and of thevbifurcated members on the iod being formed with a series of co-operating teeth and the. sidesv ofV the plates and the sides of the bifurcated members on the housing being formed with a series` ofl cio-operating teeth of a different pitch than the first named series of teeth.

t. In combination with two axles, sprockets mounted thereon, and a chain operatively engaging the sprockets, an adjustable distance rod operativel'i,T interposed between the axles to properly space them, and a plurality oi forked arms attached to one of the axles, a support, a corresponding number of housings carried with the support and blocks of yielding non-metallic material within the housings, the ends ot the forked arms being seated in said blocks.

5. In combination with two axles, sprockets mounted thereon and a chain operatively engaging the sprockets, an adjustable distance rod operatively interposed between the axles to properly space them, means to mount one of the axles comprising a housing, yielding non-metallic material within the housing in engagement with said housing and said axle, and means to support the housing including a plurality of forked arms attached to the axle, a support, a corresponding number of housings carried with the support and blocks of yielding non-metallic material within the housings, the ends oit the forked arms being seated in said blocks.

6. In a motor vehicle, in conibination with driving and driven axles, sprockets mounted thereon, and a chain operati\f'ely engaging the sprockets, means to maintain the proper distance between the centers of chain driven sprockets comprising a distance rod severed in its length, means at the point ot severance of the rod to adjust its length, and plates cooperating with the sides of the rod at the point of severance to hold it in adjust-able posit-ion, whereby the adjusting means are relieved of driving strains, and means to mount` the driving axle comprising a housing and yielding non-metallic material therein, whereby the distance between the sprockets is adjustable.

7. In a motor vehicle having a trame. a driving axle, a driven axle sprung on the frame, sprockets carried by the respective axles. and a chain operatively7 eng; ring the sprockets, an adjustable distance nod connected at one end to the driven axle. a housing on the other end el the distance rod surrounding the driving axle, yielding, nonmetallic material interposed between said housing and d-riving axle to form the solel connection therebetween, and means to mount the driving axle on the trame.

-8. The combination as claimed in claim 7. wherein the yielding non-metallic material is annular in shape but has cut-away pertions to provide for relative motion between the housing and driving axle in every direction.

9. In a motor vehicle having a frame, a driving axle, a driven. axle sprimg on the iframe, sprockets carried by ihe respective axles, and a chain operatively engaging 'the sprocketsa an adjueteble distance i'od eenneeted at one end te he driven axle, :i heuse ing 0n the other end of the distance rod smi-rounding the diivinfg axle, yieldinga new metallic meei'iel interposed between Said housing und driving axle to ferm :1, connection iheiebetween, and means te mount the diiving axle 011 'the frame Compiieiiig; yieiding, lloivmetallie material. te pel-mii'r ifeietive 10 n'ietien between said driving axle and frame.

This Specification signed this 10th dey of October A. D., 1927.

ALFRED F. MASURY. 

